1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of dental implants and more specifically to an internal connection implant. The invention also relates to the combination of an internal connection implant and a complementary abutment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A wide variety of dental implants currently exists in the art. Such dental implants commonly include a body with external threads for mounting and retaining the implant within the patient's mouth. Installation of the implant involves rotation of the implant into a predrilled or tapped site using a drive member such as a ratchet or other rotation means. The implant also includes a drive region which may be located externally or internally. Various structures for both externally and internally driving the implant currently exist.
While many internally driven dental implants provide satisfactory torque transfer and stability between implant and abutment, implant connection failures continue to exist. Accordingly, there is a continuing need for an internal connection or internally driven implant which provides improved torque transfer and implant/abutment stability, with a structure that can also minimize implant connection failure.